BudapestAlive

2009 Missional Gathering

The weekend of October 2nd and 3rd (Friday and Saturday), WorldVenture is coordinating with other missions groups to host the second annual Missional Gathering missions conference in Humble.

The conference is free, registration is required. Call (281) 446-3216 to register. Christina and I will do three breakout sessions talking about our journey to commit to international cross-cultural ministry.

Hosted by Solid Rock Baptist Church, 9450 FM 1960 Bypass Rd. West, Humble, Texas 77338.

• Friday, October 2, 2009
• 1:00pm: Plenary Session I: Vision & Mission of the Missional Gathering
• Opening Prayer, Music – Worship (15 minutes)
• Testimony, Message
• 2:30pm Break
• 2:45pm Seminar Session A
• 3:30pm Break
• 3:45pm Seminar Session B
• 4:30pm Dinner break
• 6:30pm Plenary Session II: Welcome and Overview of the Missional Gathering
• Music – Worship (15 minutes),
• Testimony, Message
• Plenary Session III
• Saturday, October 3, 2009
• 8:00am: Plenary Session IV: Welcome and Overview of the Missional Gathering
• Opening Prayer, Music – Worship (15 minutes)
• Testimony, Message
• 9:30am Break
• 9:45am Seminary Session C
• 10:30am Break
• 10:45am Missionary Panel: Why is there urgency in the Scriptures about missions and what must the church be to impact the world for Christ?
• 11:45am Break
• 12:00pm Plenary Session V
• Music, Testimony

Apps almost done!

Well, we’re pretty close to completing the lengthy applications for World Venture. A couple medical exams and we’re set. After that there’s not much to do (I think) until we hopefully get to our appointment/training time in late October. After that we’ll go into full support-raising mode and see what happens!

In the meantime, our pastor graciously gave/had us give the news of our Budapest plans to the church. A small thing in one sense, but it was very meaningful to me. I can’t say enough about the integrity of the leadership and the heart of the church. I’m very thankful to be there during this time.

Anyway, you can hear a bit of the announcement at the start of this sermon:

View from the Basilica

Quick view of the Pest side of Budapest from the top of St. Stephen’s basilica.

Dome of the Basilica from Terry Cokenour on Vimeo.

Wrap Up

We returned to Houston on Friday night after a long delay in London and lost luggage. The jet lag was definitely far worse coming back. I didn’t feel quite human until about noon today. The smoked ribs and sausage at my brother’s place definitely helped bring me back to form!

The trip was absolutely wonderful, wonder-filled. We learned so much and saw more of the people and culture than we expected to. Great thanks go to the Seller’s for their warm, generous hospitality and priceless assistance in planning our days. Without their help the trip we certainly have been far less productive.

Likewise, great thanks to the Keierleber family for loving our youngest daughters and giving them a great stay away from mom and dad. We can tell the girls really enjoyed Mr. Paul and Mrs. Tricia.

Christina and I are still adjusting to being back. It seems wierd because we were only in Hungary for 12 days, but I think we both allowed ourselves to imagine we were living there. It was a bit of grown-up make believe I suppose.

So, we’re just about caught up on sleep and getting ready to jump back into our family routine. We’ll have more news soon, but for now we’re quite busy sorting through pics, video, momentos, and catching up with life back home.

Here’s a pic that Keith Sellers took (he’s a much better photographer than I am).

Terror House

There’s a building in downtown Budapest with a terrible history. During WWII the Nazi’s used it to interrogate and torture those suspected of being against the totalitarian state or sympathizing with those who did. Religious leaders, civic leaders, their families and friends were brought there.

After the Allies defeated Germany, it was decided that Hungary would be under the rule of the Soviet Union. They went from the frying pan into the fire. While the communists celebrated how they “liberated” Hungary, they soon put this building to the same use it experienced under Nazi fascism. The torture continued. Hungarians were targets of their own state.

The building was recently turned into a museum; a monument to honor the victims and to put names and faces to evil committed there. It’s now called “Terror Haza” – Terror House. There’s no video/photo allowed inside, except for one wall which honors the victims. The Nazi’s and communists kept detailed records of their interrogations, records which helped to construct the monument.

Terror House from Terry Cokenour on Vimeo.

Budapest Street Musician: Saxophone

Budapest Street Musician: Saxophone from Terry Cokenour on Vimeo.

Prayers and Money of the Faithful

Budapest St. Stephen’s Basilica from Terry Cokenour on Vimeo.